The former home of Cottenham Racecourse on the outskirts of Cambridge is on the market – with planning permission to convert its main grandstand into a modern four-bedroom house.
Now known as Steeple Chase Farm, Cottenham Racecourse held its first National Hunt meeting in the 1830s – hosting regular fixtures, latterly point-to-points, until its closure in 2020.
Local equestrian centres within easy reach include Keysoe International (30 miles), The Suffolk Equestrian Centre (34 miles) and Codham Park Equestrian Centre (39 miles). Cambridge Equine Hospital (seven miles) is 20 minutes from the front door.
If hunting is your thing, you can head out with the Fitzwilliam or the Cambridgeshire Hunt with Enfield Chace. Local racecourses include both Newmarket’s Rowley Mile and July Course (16 miles) and Huntingdon (19 miles).
This property is on the market with Savills in Cambridge, available either as the whole 202 acres (82 hectare) with a guide price of £2.375m, or split in up to four smaller lots.
(Image credit: creditUnknown)
Lot one includes 111.12 acres of arable land, split into five fields, plus the pasture and former racecourse (including the grandstand with planning permission to convert), covering 61.42 acres. There are also two farm buildings located towards the western boundary, including a steel-framed general purpose barn measuring 80x60ft and a timber pole barn measuring 75x60ft included.
(Image credit: creditUnknown)
(Image credit: creditUnknown)
The further three lots include varying sized plots of land – lot two: 17.50 acres of arable and pasture; lot three: 4.01 acres of pasture; lot four: 1.37 acres of pasture.
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Last year, South Cambridgeshire District Council approved plans to transform the site’s main grandstand into a modern detached four-bedroom home.
CGI image of proposed four-bedroom home.
(Image credit: creditUnknown)
NP Architects have designed a proposal that is functional, while also retaining a memory of its former use. The ground floor will comprise bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms and a reception room. The first floor will include an open plan kitchen, dining and living room with a spacious terrace. Large windows will allow ample natural light into the property as well as framing the far reaching views over the wider farmland.
The majority of the land is classified as Grade Two with areas of Grade One towards the western boundary and Grade Three towards the southern boundary. The soils are described as being of the Milton Series, but are variable, the majority being a freely draining loam with a heavier area of clay towards the southern boundary.
The planning permission also allows for a building known as the Masters hut to be demolished and replaced by an outbuilding housing the home office, garage and ancillary storage.
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Former web features editor, point-to-point editor and digital racing editor
Gemma is an experienced journalist, who was a member of H&H staff from 2014 to September 2025. She is passionate about all equestrian sports, including racing and point-to-pointing. She has enjoyed riding out for top trainers Nicky Henderson and Charlie Appleby and took part in a charity Flat race at Epsom in August 2018. Gemma’s has reported from numerous five-star events around Britain and Europe, as well as European championships.
